The reformation of the police force is possible only when they are ready to take corrective measures at the appropriate time, Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran has said.
Inaugurating the 34th State convention of the Kerala Police Association (KPA) at Iringal on Friday, the Minister said the people had lost faith in the force. ‘‘Whenever there is a defect in their action, people look at them very anxiously,’’ he said.
Citing the high expectations of the government on people-friendly policing, Mr. Saseendran said the Kerala Police should be able to win the confidence of the people. The police force should check whether there was anyone in the department who was finding it difficult to work according to the administrative policies of the ruling government, he said. The Minister said the policy of the government was to change the police as servants of the people. Those serving the department should understand this principle first, he said.
T.S. Baiju chairs inaugural event
KPA State president T.S. Baiju presided over the inaugural event. C.K. Nanu, MLA, delivered the keynote address. Director General of Police (Crimes) Mohammed Yasin, Inspector General of Police (Kannur Range) Balram Kumar Updadhyay and Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Dinendra Kashyap were present.
A seminar on ‘Changing Kerala and need for changes in policing’ was also organised in the evening. Resource persons at the seminar called for a people-friendly policing which could regain the lost image of the department. Senior police officers and historians presented papers on the topic.
In the wake of controversies that police conventions were being organised like CPI(M) meetings, the KPA leadership erected the martyrs’ column at the venue of its State meet by sticking to a combination of blue and red colours.
The martyrs’ column which was initially in red colour was changed following a collective decision of association leaders.
Earlier, they were of the stance that the red colour should be given to the structure as it was directly denoting the bloodshed of martyrs.
